Well, we are finishing our last day in Dublin. Before I start, I would like to say thank you to all of your who sent comments and messages. I really loved reading them. On this return visit, we stayed at the Clarence Hotel (Bono’s place) in Temple Bar. The only two things on our list were the National Museum of Archeology and a return visit to Christ Church. The Museum was as interesting as we expected. It was amazing to see the hoards of ancient Irish weapons and gold jewelry and decoration found in bogs. Some of the torqs (neck rings) [View Full Entry]

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I had to save this for a separate blog. Ashford Castle…..Jim always says I think I’m a princess, but I surely am during this stay at the Castle. Not only is the castle beautiful, and are the grounds gorgeous, with hidden gardens everywhere and a lake that has swans swimming along the banks, but the castle is outside the town of Cong (the place where the “Quiet Man” with John Wayne and Maureen O’Hara) was shot. Every “Boomer” should see this place. We checked in and had drinks in the drawing room next to a stone fireplace decked with the coat [View Full Entry]

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The rest of the pictures [View Full Entry]

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Sorry it’s been so long between blogs. It seems the days are just packed and then we fall into bed. Not to mention never ending internet issues. We left Kilkenny to head for Killarney and stopped at The Rock of Cashel and Cahir Castle. The site at Cashel has been in use since the 5th century. Presented to the church in the 12th century, it was at Cashel that the Irish Princes paid homage to King Henry II. Built on a huge rock hill, at 200 feet over the town, the stone structure is imposing and you really could tell how [View Full Entry]

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Well, we picked up the car and headed out of the Dublin Airport on Thursday. I would recommend doing that since the traffic in Dublin is crazy and so is anyone who attempts to drive in it. This way we were outside of the city. Even so, the first thing Jim did was turn the wrong way on a one way street leaving the car hire lot. As with all firsts, the rest of the day was a bit stressful for me since Jim insisted upon driving a wee bit too far to the left and kept scraping our tires on [View Full Entry]

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A few more photos [View Full Entry]

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Well, I am finally getting a chance to do my blog for the first time since we have been in Ireland. It’s much more difficult than I thought it would be since we are exhausted at the end of the day and all we want to do is fall into bed. So here I am with my glass of wine and my computer while Jim is already sleeping. On Monday we arrived and checked into the beautiful Shellbourne Hotel. It’s an oasis of comfort and luxury. Rather than being prudent and taking a nap when we arrived, we wandered dazed and [View Full Entry]

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Hi guys! Just had to drop a quick blog since we are off to Ireland finally. I've been reading all the other blogs and getting really excited, learned about some great "must see and do" tips too, so I hope Ireland turns out to be as special for us as it has been for others. I finally figured out how to check my comments and was really happy to hear that others like my map idea! The only additional thing I would add about that is be sure you have one color saved for the "absolute must see above all else [View Full Entry]

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Hi all, Just thought I would update you on my preparations for Ireland. Maybe it will be helpfull for anyone else preparing to travel. I have bought my new tiny netbook so I'm checking all my hotels to see if they have wireless service so I can blog along the way. This thing is so small and light it won 't take up much space in my carry on at all. I'm also planning to get online to order a backup battery and power converter for laptops since the one in my netbook has only 3 hours of battery time. Any [View Full Entry]

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I have been a traveler all my life (airforce brat) but I still get the giddy feeling in my stomach as the departure for a trip grows near. My husband Jim and I are heading for Ireland. While I have my typical ritual for getting ready which requires buying and reading way too many travel guides, underlining everything that sounds interesting to me and marking them on a map (I know way too obsessive). My husband is cruising the internet shopping networks buying sweaters and jackets for the trip. His plan is to wing it, meet people and drink lots of [View Full Entry]

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